Realism In Briar Rose

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Recommended: Symbolism against realism

Natalie Comardelle
Mr. LeBlanc
English IV AP
19 March 2014
"Briar Rose," written by Jane Yolen, is a heart wrenching story of Sleeping Beauty intertwined with the evils of World War II. Yolen has taken the story of Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) and developed two parallel stories. Becca is the granddaughter of Gemma, soon to be found out as Briar Rose. Becca promises her grandmother, Gemma, to find out the truth about her. Through the help of Stan, and Josef, Becca finds out the truth: her grandmother had survived an extermination camp at Chelmno, and afterwards with the partisans. The enormous amount of deaths and genocides can sometimes be very hard to grasp when it is simply another page in your history textbooks. However, this novel helps give a tangible perspective of such madness and atrocity through a fairytale lens. It also allows us to contemplate and remember an unconscionably dark chapter of human history. Briar Rose is an interesting book that connotes realism, optimism, and a sense of mystery in the timeless fairy tale ending, "and they lived happily ever after."

Though "Briar Rose" is completely fictional, the storyline of Gemma reflects a great deal of truth in every modern fairy tale ending. Yolen's ability to craft a fairy tale story without the typical fairy tale ending is what sets this book apart. For example, the contrast of beauty and brutality of life during this period is a major theme. Briar Rose's story does not end when she is "kissed by the breath of life," she still must face numerous hardships just to stay alive. Also, Argon's tragic death is just flat out unfair: but that is how life often is. The perfect ending is not always attained, sometimes you just get reall...

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...an interesting retelling of Sleeping Beauty. This book contains many emotional moments that evoke feelings of joy, sadness, and awe. Yolen's ability to write about the Holocaust from a more personal perspective made the novel a very enjoyable read. This moving novel underscores the power of myth and metaphor. Becca searches for the truth behind the Sleeping Beauty story that her grandmother, who said she was Briar Rose, told all her life. The search sends Beccca on a journey into the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. Becca discovered her grandmother's past while also finding herself. Though it was told in a much different rendition than most other fairy tales, Yolen crafted a breathless story. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Holocaust. This haunting tale exploits the concept of happy ever afters, while upholding truth and positivity.

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